Conventions: Members Versus Customers

[kevin_standlee]

The post-Eastercon discussions going on in eastercon and elsewhere include the question of those people who attend conventions viewing themselves solely as "paying customers." I suggested we may need to start printing a fine-print contract on membership materials, the way sporting events and concerts do on their tickets, such as:

THIS IS NOT A TICKET. You are a member of this convention. This event is being organized entirely by volunteers who are working without compensation and who had to pay for their own memberships and travel expenses. While the organizers will make a reasonable effort to present this event in the way it is described in its written materials, they cannot guarantee that all things will happen as planned. By purchasing this membership you explicitly acknowledge that all functions are subject to change or cancellation with or without notice for any reason whatsoever.

This is only a rough first effort, but I think you get the idea. It is a little sad that I can say that I'm quite serious that we may really need to do this or face threats of litigation for "false advertising" and "breech of contract" with attendees.

Comments

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

...in part because I know I have a short temper when I'm overly tired.

Me, too, and for another factor I now know to be blood sugar-related. On the day before Interaction, I'd arrived at the SECC just off the train from York, found no place from which I could work, knew I had to eat something or risk keeling over, but also knew that there were a whole bunch of Events issues piling up even as I stood there. I grabbed one of the not-too-great sandwiches from the shop and -- there being no place to sit, went and sat on the floor in a corner of an SECC hallway. As I sat there desperately trying to eat quickly without choking -- I just wanted about five or ten minutes -- an otherwise well-meaning fan whom I know came over and started cheerfully burbling at me.

It's not his fault that I snapped at him. Just too many things had piled up at once, and he had the misfortune to be the straw dropping on this camel's back. He was certainly stunned by the loud nature of my outburst -- I can get really angry -- which was all out of proportion to the situation.

Knowing how much trouble I can be, I work very hard to try and keep it under control, and possibly I end up coming across as a bit distant in stressful circumstances.